Ipsos Will Not Bid for Kantar Media

Just three days after confirming it was in discussions regarding a potential acquisition of Kantar Media, Ipsos says it has decided not to bid.

The France-based global group said on Monday that discussions were happening, confirming reports in the press at the end of last week. However this morning it issued a further statement to the effect that 'After careful review of a potential acquisition of Kantar Media, Ipsos has, at this time, decided not to submit a binding offer'. No further details have been provided.

The withdrawal leaves equity firms Cinven and Triton reportedly interested in buying the division, for which a price tag of around £1 billion has been suggested. Kantar Media has around 4,000 staff and represents about 15% of the wider group's turnover.

Web sites: www.kantarmedia.com and www.ipsos.com .